Jumbo

Part one. Barnum wants the biggest, smallest, fattest, thinnest, shortest, tallest - Barnum wants extremes. Barnum wants Jumbo. The London Zoo says Jumbo is much too popular, not for sale, no. Barnum notices that Shakespeare's birthplace is falling to seed, purchases it outright and announces his plan to move it to his museum in America. The British public is outraged, demands the return of this national treasure, and Barnum says he'll do it - in exchange for Jumbo.

Terrific story. There's probably even a grain of truth in there somewhere.

Part two. Jumbo thrives and appears to love circus life, until the tragic mow-down by a runaway train in the middle of the night.

Very touching. Poignant. Poetical.

Part three. Barnum stages a parade featuring "Double Jumbo" - the skeleton and the hide, side by side.

This type of thing is where Barnum loses me.